Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Mt. Columbia - 14,075 feet
Date Posted	06/19/2013
Date Climbed	06/10/2013
Author	MonGoose
Additional Members	BenfromtheEast

Skiing Laps on Mt Columbia
Mountain: Mt Columbia Route: Ascend SW Couloir, Ski Descent (currently under review), and Scree Descent of West Slopes (standard route - Class II) RT Elevation: 4,250' RT Distance: 12.5 Miles Travel time: 13 hours (yes, I realize that's < 1 mph) Group Members: Ben (BenFromtheEast) - Ski Dreamer Nick (MonGoose) - Summit or Bust! Throughout the spring, Ben and I shared the dream of skiing our first 14er. While I was achieving this feat on Quandary Peak back in April, Ben was stuck in graduate school, buried under a mound of thesis work, dreaming of one day skiing his first 14er. I told Ben I would love to ski a peak with him, but by the time we could both get a day off together, it was already the 10th of June. We knew the SW Couloir was in (thanks to beta from *Speth* and *Zdero1) but we weren't sure how much snow was left after a warm week. I was confident there would not be enough snow for a ski descent, so I left the skis at home. But Ben was a man with a dream. I encouraged Ben to bring his skis because I figured that might slow him down just enough for me to keep up. The Trail We left the trailhead around 6:45am, I wish we could have slept in longer. The first 3 miles of the hike were pleasant, with no snow on the trail. Just below 11,000', we caught a glimpse of the SW Couloir where Ben immediately exited the trail and made a straight shot towards the snow proclaiming, "I seek the gnar!". It was easy hiking at first, until we got into a section of downed trees. Before we knew it, we were stuck in the thick of it as poor Ben was bouncing off of trees, trying to go over and under but his skis kept clanking along. Ben looked like a baby giraffe on roller skates trying to play a game of limbo. Like a good friend, I was there to pick him up when he fell down. "Does that guy really think he is going to ski today?" "Phfff, whatever." Ben brought everything, except a chainsaw. Finally the trees thinned and we were in the smaller brush of the avalanche run-out, just below the couloir. We figured we were out of the woods, so to speak, but the brush was rather difficult to navigate and at times annoying, as bushes scratched our knees and little thistles burrowed into our feet. A few feet of snow would have made travel through this section much easier. The day was heating up and the couloir was starting to come into view but still loomed in the distance. A view of the route from the avalanche path. Continuing onward above treeline, we followed the stream of water flowing down the gully that would lead us straight to the couloir. The ascent of the dry gully was okay but I wouldn't want to descend this route without snow. I was hoping there'd be a little bit more snow here. The Southwest Couloir Around 12,000', we arrived at the snow (or what was left of it) which was in good condition in the late-morning. We quickly put on our crampons, pulled out the ice axes and began our ascent of the Southwest Couloir. Ben took two measurements of the slope angle: 37 and 42 degrees. A few sections on the south slope looked even steeper. If the couloir was completely filled in, lower angles would be available to ski down the gully. As has been previously discussed, much of the couloir lies between 35 - 45 degrees providing many areas capable of triggering an avalanche. The run-out avalanche path is also a good indicator that this guy is capable of a big slide. Ben heading up the couloir with Mt Yale in the background. A steeper section of the couloir. (Photo by Ben) The steepest part of the slope. The Ridge When we reached the ridge, Ben became disheartened at the lack of snow on the remaining trail to the summit. The couloir was growing soft and the window to ski was quickly closing. It was already 1:00, the couloir was turning to mush and clouds were starting to form overhead. A ski down would mean the end of the day. I looked at Ben and asked, "What do you want to do?" Ben replied "Let's push on for the summit," generously sacrificing his ski down the couloir in exchange for my summit attempt. "You could leave your skis here, and we'll pick them up on the way down," I suggested. "No! I'm taking my skis all the way to the summit". Hmmm, not much snow. The Summit We reached the summit around 2:00pm after a long morning of climbing, and to our surprise, found a nice patch of snow on the summit. Ben's eyes lit up. Clouds were forming across the Sawatch Range and rain could be seen in the distance, but the skies above Mount Columbia were clear. We snapped a few photos, ate lunch and warded off an aggressive marmot who was vying for a free meal. I might have even filmed a dance video on the summit. #48 for the MonGoose. The bromance continues! Ben preparing for his first ski descent! I watched as Ben unstrapped his skis, helmet and gear from his backpack. "What are you doing?" I asked. "I'm going to ski Mount Columbia," he replied. "But there's only 8' of snow?" I interjected. "I came here to ski Mount Columbia and that's what I'm going to do." Ski Descent - The Movie When it was all said and done, Ben had summited and ski descended Mount Columbia 4 times - a feat never before accomplished in a single day. A combination of his four attempts netted him a total of 32 vertical feet of skiing. Unfortunately, we still had 4,242' left to descend to get back to the trailhead. The Scree Descent After Ben finished skiing, he strapped his skis back on his pack and we proceeded to hike down the standard route of Mount Columbia. I now understand why so many people feel such disdain for this route. Ben shreds the Scree. The Controversy - You Decide! On the descent, Ben and I divulged into a heated disagreement over what constitutes a ski descent and more specifically, whether today's efforts warranted a ski dude check-mark. Granted Ben did ski from the summit as far as he could go and then carried his skis down the mountain, which was much more tiring than actually being able to ski the entire mountain. But, I'm reluctant to give it to him so easily. So, in an effort to settle our grievances, we have decided to throw open the debate in the court of public opinion to a group of unbiased and highly knowledgeable internet users (that's you!). Due to a lack of polling capability within the trip report format, we will use the "Like"* and "Dislike" keys at the top of this page as the primary method to cast your vote. If you feel that Ben deserves a ski dude for his efforts on Mount Columbia - "Like" this report. If you feel Ben did not ski enough of the mountain to earn a ski dude - "Dislike" this report. The results of the voting shall be considered as final and binding by both parties. Please state your opinions in deciding the fate of Ben's ski dude in the comments section below. Those with actual ski icons (aka real 14er skiers) next to their name will be given extra priority. Being new to skiing 14ers, it would nice to hear your opinion on what constitutes a ski descent? When the snow runs out before reaching the car, where do you draw the line? Final Thoughts I had another great day on the mountain. I must say, I'm a big fan of the Southwest Couloir and I can't wait to climb it again. I hope we'll get a chance to return next year, perhaps a little bit earlier in the year and do a full ski descent. Until then, I look forward to some great summer hiking. *MonGoose* Note: All Mount Columbia photos, unless otherwise noted, are © Nicholas Gianoutsos, 2013. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Skiing Laps on Mt Columbia

Mountain: Mt Columbia
Route: Ascend SW Couloir, Ski Descent (currently under review), and Scree Descent of West Slopes (standard route - Class II)
RT Elevation: 4,250'
RT Distance: 12.5 Miles
Travel time: 13 hours (yes, I realize that's < 1 mph)

Group Members:
Ben (BenFromtheEast) - Ski Dreamer
Nick (MonGoose) - Summit or Bust!

Throughout the spring, Ben and I shared the dream of skiing our first 14er. While I was achieving this feat on Quandary Peak back in April, Ben was stuck in graduate school, buried under a mound of thesis work, dreaming of one day skiing his first 14er. I told Ben I would love to ski a peak with him, but by the time we could both get a day off together, it was already the 10th of June. We knew the SW Couloir was in (thanks to beta from Speth and Zdero1) but we weren't sure how much snow was left after a warm week. I was confident there would not be enough snow for a ski descent, so I left the skis at home. But Ben was a man with a dream. I encouraged Ben to bring his skis because I figured that might slow him down just enough for me to keep up.

The Trail

We left the trailhead around 6:45am, I wish we could have slept in longer. The first 3 miles of the hike were pleasant, with no snow on the trail. Just below 11,000', we caught a glimpse of the SW Couloir where Ben immediately exited the trail and made a straight shot towards the snow proclaiming, "I seek the gnar!". It was easy hiking at first, until we got into a section of downed trees. Before we knew it, we were stuck in the thick of it as poor Ben was bouncing off of trees, trying to go over and under but his skis kept clanking along. Ben looked like a baby giraffe on roller skates trying to play a game of limbo. Like a good friend, I was there to pick him up when he fell down.

"Does that guy really think he is going to ski today?"
"Phfff, whatever."

Ben brought everything, except a chainsaw.

Finally the trees thinned and we were in the smaller brush of the avalanche run-out, just below the couloir. We figured we were out of the woods, so to speak, but the brush was rather difficult to navigate and at times annoying, as bushes scratched our knees and little thistles burrowed into our feet. A few feet of snow would have made travel through this section much easier. The day was heating up and the couloir was starting to come into view but still loomed in the distance.

A view of the route from the avalanche path.

Continuing onward above treeline, we followed the stream of water flowing down the gully that would lead us straight to the couloir. The ascent of the dry gully was okay but I wouldn't want to descend this route without snow.

I was hoping there'd be a little bit more snow here.

The Southwest Couloir

Around 12,000', we arrived at the snow (or what was left of it) which was in good condition in the late-morning. We quickly put on our crampons, pulled out the ice axes and began our ascent of the Southwest Couloir. Ben took two measurements of the slope angle: 37 and 42 degrees. A few sections on the south slope looked even steeper. If the couloir was completely filled in, lower angles would be available to ski down the gully. As has been previously discussed, much of the couloir lies between 35 - 45 degrees providing many areas capable of triggering an avalanche. The run-out avalanche path is also a good indicator that this guy is capable of a big slide.

Ben heading up the couloir with Mt Yale in the background.

A steeper section of the couloir. (Photo by Ben)

The Ridge

When we reached the ridge, Ben became disheartened at the lack of snow on the remaining trail to the summit. The couloir was growing soft and the window to ski was quickly closing. It was already 1:00, the couloir was turning to mush and clouds were starting to form overhead. A ski down would mean the end of the day.

I looked at Ben and asked, "What do you want to do?"
Ben replied "Let's push on for the summit," generously sacrificing his ski down the couloir in exchange for my summit attempt.
"You could leave your skis here, and we'll pick them up on the way down," I suggested.
"No! I'm taking my skis all the way to the summit".

The Summit

We reached the summit around 2:00pm after a long morning of climbing, and to our surprise, found a nice patch of snow on the summit. Ben's eyes lit up. Clouds were forming across the Sawatch Range and rain could be seen in the distance, but the skies above Mount Columbia were clear. We snapped a few photos, ate lunch and warded off an aggressive marmot who was vying for a free meal. I might have even filmed a dance video on the summit.

Ben preparing for his first ski descent!

I watched as Ben unstrapped his skis, helmet and gear from his backpack.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm going to ski Mount Columbia," he replied.
"But there's only 8' of snow?" I interjected.
"I came here to ski Mount Columbia and that's what I'm going to do."

Ski Descent - The Movie

When it was all said and done, Ben had summited and ski descended Mount Columbia 4 times - a feat never before accomplished in a single day. A combination of his four attempts netted him a total of 32 vertical feet of skiing. Unfortunately, we still had 4,242' left to descend to get back to the trailhead.

The Scree Descent

After Ben finished skiing, he strapped his skis back on his pack and we proceeded to hike down the standard route of Mount Columbia. I now understand why so many people feel such disdain for this route.

The Controversy - You Decide!

On the descent, Ben and I divulged into a heated disagreement over what constitutes a ski descent and more specifically, whether today's efforts warranted a ski dude check-mark. Granted Ben did ski from the summit as far as he could go and then carried his skis down the mountain, which was much more tiring than actually being able to ski the entire mountain. But, I'm reluctant to give it to him so easily. So, in an effort to settle our grievances, we have decided to throw open the debate in the court of public opinion to a group of unbiased and highly knowledgeable internet users (that's you!). Due to a lack of polling capability within the trip report format, we will use the "Like" and "Dislike" keys at the top of this page as the primary method to cast your vote.

If you feel that Ben deserves a ski dude for his efforts on Mount Columbia - "Like" this report.

If you feel Ben did not ski enough of the mountain to earn a ski dude - "Dislike" this report.

The results of the voting shall be considered as final and binding by both parties. Please state your opinions in deciding the fate of Ben's ski dude in the comments section below. Those with actual ski icons (aka real 14er skiers) next to their name will be given extra priority. Being new to skiing 14ers, it would nice to hear your opinion on what constitutes a ski descent? When the snow runs out before reaching the car, where do you draw the line?

Final Thoughts

I had another great day on the mountain. I must say, I'm a big fan of the Southwest Couloir and I can't wait to climb it again. I hope we'll get a chance to return next year, perhaps a little bit earlier in the year and do a full ski descent. Until then, I look forward to some great summer hiking.

MonGoose

Note: All Mount Columbia photos, unless otherwise noted, are © Nicholas Gianoutsos, 2013.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

dillonsarnelli	those filtered pics still freak me out... 6/19/2013 4:15pm ...but this TR is pretty awesome Nick. If that's what all you boys call skiing, can I come next time? Looks like you both had a great day out there.
jmc5040	The Couloir 6/19/2013 4:37pm How much vertical was skied in the couloir? For his project (and for subsequent projects) Dawson defines a ski descent of a fourteener as skiing ”the best (most often the longest) continuous descent available on an average snow year, almost always from the exact summit, with the exception being the few fourteeners (such as Wetterhorn and El Diente) that have rocky summit blocks or boulder caps that were never known to be in skiable condition prior to the project.” (http://www.wildsnow.com/biography/lou_fourteeners.htm) Looks like you guys had some fun up there regardless :D
bergsteigen	Women's Skis? 6/19/2013 4:38pm Ben, why are you skiing Women's BD Joules? And no, that's not an official 14er ski descent. Sorry :cry: That's called ”skiing on a 14er”, not skiing a 14er. I have a few of those myself. :roll:
wildlobo71	My opinion... 6/19/2013 5:19pm Is NO! I have fallen further in elevation on Columbia than Ben skied in four laps that day... it was a bad episode after a good snow storm, I don't wish to discuss it. Good use of the report Nick & Ben.
dmccool	It's Columbia 6/19/2013 7:15pm Why we're you even there? I vote ”no” and I'll ”dislike”.
Billy the Kid	That's funny... 6/19/2013 7:23pm That picture of the guy with the pipe at the end of your report...I actually went to junior high and high school with him! He's from Lakewood...nice report!!
MountainMedic	Was fur eine Hetze! 6/19/2013 7:38pm Wow, Ben really played up his day! I'm glad to see an actual record of the climb's true occurrences. Nice report, but I think you have too much time on your hands.
SurfNTurf	Trend 6/19/2013 7:57pm It's nice to see the shorts and gaiters fad continuing, but it's just not the same without JEAN shorts.
kansas	Meh 6/19/2013 8:26pm It had enough rocks to constitute a 14er ski descent. Count it.
MountainMedic	Standards 6/19/2013 8:40pm Pretty low standards for a self-proclaimed elitist, Darrin. Based on his use of tele skis, I would think Ben would hold himself to the 14er skiing paradigm and click the ”dislike” button.
speth	Hardcore 6/20/2013 12:35am Ben is an inspiration. And the star of the feel good movie of the season.
aliciaf	Hmmm 6/20/2013 12:50am It's controversial, but I'll vote YES on calling it a ski descent. He committed and lugged his skis all the way to the summit. If he got to descend in elevation at all in one continuous line, it counts. Otherwise, where do we draw the line? 5ft ski descent? 500ft ski descent? Or solid line all the way back to the car?
GerryRigged	Heroic effort! 6/20/2013 3:40am You can count it but you will always have it in the back of your mind that you need to go back and do a true decent. I vote no. I do like the TR though, and give Ben a thumbs up for hauling his skis and boots to the summit and all the way back down.
semitrueskerm	Classic 6/21/2013 10:03pm Will Mongoose become the Phil Mickelson at the U.S. Open of the Dance OFF? So much effort, already taping a Dance on this summit...he taped one atop Pikes in January...the effort is there, but will he be stuck in runner-up position? Big props for already thinking ahead, but I'm guessing your dance taping on Pikes & Mt. Columbia was only part of your ”practice rounds”... :lol: I must admit, when it comes to summit dancing... I've only done 1...ever.
TaylorHolt	Beast Mode 6/25/2013 8:59pm ”Ben had summited and ski descended Mount Columbia 4 times - a feat never before accomplished in a single day” :shock: Counts in my book
taylorzs	Excellent, excellent 7/17/2013 6:16pm Thanks for the laugh. I will disagree that it counts as a ski descent but I enjoyed the trip report and the laugh. The TR had it all, babes in bikinis, gnarly skiing (including ostriches), beautiful mountain pics, and a lot of walking with skis on your back! Thanks! :lol:
kansas	Really? 8/21/2013 5:24pm This is not a trip report...try writing something next time.
Fisching	Ewww 8/21/2013 8:06pm Bastard Peak... I agree whole-heartedly with what Dan said.
jmanner	Sick Video Duders 8/29/2014 1:24pm However I am disappointed to learn that Ben is a tele skier!! :x

Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.

Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.